Navarathri

Navarathri is a festival of “NINE NIGHTS” which is celebrated throughout India and the tenth day is celebrated as “VIJAYADASAMI”. During these nine days three forms of the Goddess – Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi are invoked.

The Navarathri begins on the first day (Prathama/Pratipada) of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Ashvina.

Significance of Navarathri

Navaratri is celebrated in different ways throughout India. In the Punjab, Navaratri is known as Navratras or Naratey where the first seven days are for fasting. On the eighth day or Ashtami, devotees break their fasts by calling young girls home and these girls are treated as the Goddess herself. In Gujarat and Maharashtra, Navaratri is celebrated with the famous Garba and Dandiya Raas dance. In Tamil Nadu, people set up steps and place idols on them. This is known as golu. Devotional hymns and shlokas are chanted. During Navaratri, some devotees of Durga observe fast and pray for the protection of health and prosperity. Devotees avoid meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat and onion during this fast. Grains are usually avoided since it is believed that during the period of Navaratri and seasonal change, grains attract and absorb lots of negative energies from the surrounding. Navaratri is also a period of contemplation and purification. It is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures.

Spiritual Significance of Navarathri

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna talks about 3 gunas (qualities) which binds the soul to the body. They are Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa. Tamas – the lowest of the gunas, brings ignorance, stupidity, laziness and inertia. Rajas – the passionate of the gunas, makes one restless, thirsty for pleasure and greed. Sattwa – the highest of the gunas, helps to seek happiness and knowledge. Sattwa is tranquility, pureness and calmness. A man can cultivate any one of the gunas by his actions, thoughts and ways of living. One has to transcend these gunas and reach Brahman. These nine days are a reminder of this. The first three days are for Tamas, the next three for Rajas and the last three for Sattwa.

First three days

The first three days are celebrated to Goddess Durga also called Kali. This is the period her “Energy and Power” are worshipped. Three stages of Goddess is worshipped on these three days.

• 1st day as “Kumari” signifies the girl child
• 2nd day as “Parvathi” signifies a young woman
• 3rd day as “Kali” signifies a matured woman

These three days are to destroy the Tamasic nature. Goddess Durga is invoked first to remove impurities from the mind.

Second three days

The second three days are celebrated to Goddess Lakshmi. She is the Goddess of wealth. We worship Goddess Lakshmi for materialistic spiritual wealth and prosperity. These three days are to overcome the Rajasic nature. Goddess Lakshmi is invoked to cultivate the noble values and qualities.

Last three days

The last three days are celebrated to Goddess Saraswathi. She is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. These three days are to develop Sattwa guna and go beyond that. Goddess Saraswathi is worshipped for us to go beyond the Sattvic nature so she is invoked for gaining the highest knowledge of the Self.

In order to have all-round success in life, we need the blessings of all three aspects of the Divine mother, hence the worship for nine nights. The last day is celebrated as Vijayadasami. Vijaya means victory, it actually means victory over evil.